


Introductions

by spikewriter



Series: Seven Years in the Desert Extras [14]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen, word of the day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2012-12-29
Packaged: 2017-11-22 10:02:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/608598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spikewriter/pseuds/spikewriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Giles gives two of his field operatives a new partner.</p><p>Word of the Day - January 3, 2005</p>
            </blockquote>





	Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> Set after Spike moves to London and prior to the main events of Seven Years.

**rejoinder** \rih-JOIN-dur\, _noun_ :  
An answer to a reply; or, in general, an answer or reply.

 _Rejoinder_ derives from Old French _rejoinder_ , "to answer, rejoin," from _re_ \- + _joindre_ , "to join," from Latin _iungere_ , "to join."

***

_London, late June 2005_

"You have _got_ to be joking," Mike complained. "Harry and I are a team. We do not need someone else tagging along on our patrols."

"I said nothing about tagging along," Giles said quite calmly. "Nor am I suggesting you and Harry can't take care of yourselves. What I am saying is that I have someone that needs to log some field time and the two of you are the best pair available I can attach him to."

Mike found himself steaming and knew he was just a hairsbreadth away from telling off his section head -- which would screw the very nice little gig he and Harry had managed to land. After years of bouncing from one section of the Council to another and never really finding a fit anywhere, being asked to be part of the new Field Services division had been like coming home. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Harry, who'd been sitting silently during the exchange. "Don't you have anything to say?"

Harry shrugged. "So we baby-sit someone for a while. I'm willing to bet that he isn't completely hopeless since it's Mr. Giles who wants us to take him, Could be worse; could be some trainees from the Academy."

Mike barely managed to suppress a shudder. Every year, the graduating watcher trainees had to log field time, an exercise that drove everyone who'd actually done field work mad. "This bloke isn't a trainee?" he asked.

Giles shook his head. "No. He's currently attached to Research and I wanted…"

Now it was Harry's turn to groan. "Oh, god, please, no. With all due respect, Mr. Giles, if we have to shepherd someone from research, it's going to be a full-time job to make certain he doesn't go wandering off and get himself killed. No offense to you because I know you've done the research, being a slayer's watcher and all that, but they're usually a bunch of gits who wouldn't know a real vampire if it bit them."

"With all due respect, Harry," came the rejoinder, "I don't recall actually giving you a choice in the matter. Besides, I can assure you that this fellow does know what a real vampire is. He's actually done a fair amount of field work; none of it, however, has been under the auspices of the Council, so they don't choose to recognize its validity and are demanding he log the required time before I can bring him into the department. I imagine that with the type of trouble the two of you manage to get yourself into, you'll find him more of a help than a hindrance."

Giles leaned forward and touched the intercom. "Could you ask William to come in, please?"

Mike looked over at Harry, who shrugged again. They were stuck and both of them knew it; Giles called the shots and while he might allow them to bitch and moan, he insisted upon the final word as was his prerogative. Besides, whoever it was couldn't be too bad, could they?

The man who walked into the office made Mike question that hope. He was short and rather slight, the suit he wore doing nothing to counteract that image he could easily be broken in half. It wasn't the first time Mike had seen him -- though he could have sworn the man used to have peroxide blonde hair slicked back like he was some Billy Idol wanna-be instead of the close-cropped honey-blonde curls he now sported.

Giles made the introductions, and it was when Mike felt the coolness of his hand as they shook that the pieces fell into place. "Bloody hell, Giles -- you're pairing us with the vampire?"


End file.
